‘Xabi Alonso will get a big job soon’ – Barcelona manager Hansi Flick on departed Real Madrid counterpart

“When we play against them, I’ll have had time to watch them,” noted Barcelona manager Hansi Flick on his new oppposite number at Real Madrid, Alvaro Arbeloa. The dismissal of Xabi Alonso at the Bernabeu was one of the main talking points even in Barcelona’s press conference, as they prepare to face Racing Santander in the Copa del Rey.

On Monday evening, to general surprise, Alonso’s exit was announced, less than 24 hours after Barcelona had beaten Real Madrid 3-2 in the Spanish Supercup. Flick expressed confidence in Alonso’s abilities as a manager.

“This is football, and it’s not my business. What I can say is that I have a good relationship with Xabi; we met in Leverkusen when I was with the national team and have stayed in touch. It’s football, and I wish him all the best. I’m sure he’ll have a great project soon for himself and his coaching staff. It’s football, and we have to move on, but he’s a great coach and has a bright future.”

‘The club and the team have to believe in you’ – Flick

Flick was asked about the changes at Real Madrid on sevral occasions, and said that Alonso’s fate was simply part of manager’s life.

“It’s part of football and we can’t change it. The club has to believe in you, and the team does too. Those who make the decisions have to do so, and Real Madrid has done it that way, but it’s not my business, it’s not my business. The job of a coach is very difficult; we have many responsibilities, but in the end, it’s part of our job and we have to live with it.”

‘We’ve built something special at Barcelona’ – Flick

Given Alonso’s tenure had lasted just seven months in total, Flick was asked about how much he valued the faith that Barcelona President Joan Laporta had shown in him.

“In the end, you never know what will happen, things change, it can happen here too. Football is about winning, and even more so at big clubs. The feeling I had from my first hours here was very clear: to work together. And now it feels like a family. The president said it: not just the players, but the staff, the club, the executives, Deco, the parents, brothers, sisters – we are one big family, and I really value what we have built. It’s something special we have built here. I felt it in Saudi Arabia, and this situation is great. I really value this culture.”

It was also put to the German coach that his excellent record against Real Madrid had made him a fan favourite in Catalonia.

Hansi Flick: "Racing Santander are a young, brave team. I like what I've seen and the atmosphere in the stadium will be something, so we have to be prepared." pic.twitter.com/i0KrPw41Py

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) January 14, 2026

“You have to enjoy these situations because everything changes so quickly, and I’m very happy with how things are going. The people in Barcelona are very kind to me and my team, and I like experiencing this. We are also aware of the responsibility we have. That’s why we work so hard every day. We’ve won our first title, but it’s done, and now we have to think about the next one.”

“Tomorrow will be an important match against a team that beat Villarreal, who are third in our league, and they did really well. So we will have to play our best. When you’re a Barca player, you have to give everything on the pitch.”

Flick has won five of his six meetings with Real Madrid, and with the Supercup, four out of four titles that he has directly competed against their bitter rivals. The pair will meet again in late April with Arbeloa now in charge, and potentially a fifth title in La Liga on the line. On Thursday at 21:00 CEST, Barcelona face Racing at El Sardinero, with top in La Liga facing top in Segunda.

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